Nine theater artists will be honored by the
Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee during the presentation of its 46th Annual Awards in a luncheon
ceremony this fall. Eighty-one theater artists were nominated for outstanding
artistry in 46 productions presented during the 2009-2010 New York theater
season. (A complete list of nominees follows this awards announcement.)

These annual awards honor designers for work in
venues on Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway, recognizing not only the
traditional categories of scenic design, costume design and lighting design,
but also "Notable Effects," which encompass sound, music, video,
puppetry and other creative elements. All nominated designs must have
originated in United States productions. The Hewes Awards Committee considered
more than 200 productions when making its nominations.

Veteran designers John Lee Beatty, Santo
Loquasto and David Zinn led all nominees with three nominations each. Ten other
designers received two nominations for their work during the 2009-2010 season.
Signature Theatre Company's production of The Orphans' Home Cycle received
four distinct nominations to lead all other contenders. Broadway productions of
American
Idiot, Memphis and Sondheim on Sondheim received three
nominations each, as did the Public Theater's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,
Second Stage Theatre's The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
and Classic Stage Company's The Forest. Another 12 productions
on, Off and Off Off Broadway each received two nominations.

The HHDA Committee named honorees in four categories:
Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design and Notable Effects. As of the
2010 awards, the Committee has bestowed 272 honors on 170 artists representing
187 productions.

Originally known as the Maharam Awards at their
inception in 1965, the Hewes Awards were later known as the American Theatre
Wing Design Awards in honor of the Wing’s generous sponsorship. They were
renamed in 1999 for noted critic Henry Hewes, who created the awards and served
as a board member of the American Theatre Wing until his death in 2006 at age
89.